115.6 MW Largest Solar Power Plant In Russia

• Elista Solar Power Plant in Kalmykia has become the largest operational solar project in Russia with 115.6 MW capacity, says ARVE
• Hevel Group completed 37.6 MW solar capacity for the plant in April 2022, preceded by 78 MW energized under phase I in 2021
• ARVE says this project's completion completes phase I of CSA program for solar generation in Russia

A 115.6 MW solar PV plant of Finland's Fortum, in Russia's Kalmykia has become operational as the 'largest' solar power generation facility in the country, according to the national Russian Association for the Development of Renewable Energy (ARVE).

Fortum had announced the project with the Russian Direct Investment Fund in early 2021 (see 'Largest' PV Power Plant Announced For Russia). In the wake of Russian invasion of Ukraine, Fortum announced a 'controlled exit' from the Russian market in May 2022. Fortum's announcement can be viewed on its website.

Elista (Arshanskaya) Solar Power Plant (SPP) was realized in 2 phases with 78 MW under phase I having come online in 2021. Phase II with 37.6 MW capacity was realized in April 2022. Now the Hevel Solar built project is supplying electricity to the wholesale electricity and capacity market (WPCM) using the company's own solar modules.

ARVE counts the total installed capacity of renewable energy power plants in Kalmykia to have now grown to 453.1 MW.

The facility takes the baton from Stavropol located 100 MW Staromaryevskaya SPP as the largest solar power plant in the country, under the country's Capacity Supply Agreement (CSA) program.

"The commissioning of the 2^nd stage of the Elista SPP successfully completed the first stage of the CSA program for solar generation," added ARVE, counting total operational solar power capacity under CSA RES (2014-2022) as adding up to 1.788 GW. Out of this, 72% or 1.28 GW was built by Hevel Group of Companies, followed by Solar Systems with 365 MW and Vershina Development 135 MW.

Russia is targeting close to 12 GW cumulative renewable energy capacity by 2035 under the CSA program comprising CSA RES 1.0 (5.4 GW) and CSA RES 2.0 (6.7 GW), according to international law firm Baker McKenzie. These projects need to come online between 2023 and 2035.

Recently ARVE said the Russian government will not be holding renewable energy auctions in the country as planned for December 1, 2022 (see Russian RE Auction Shelved To May 2023).